Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
Jam packed issues filled with the latest cutting-edge research, technology and theories delivered in an entertaining and visually stunning way, aiming to educate and inspire readers of all agesFour cameras aboard NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft show the four reflective sail quadrants supported by composite booms.
ACS3's main objective was to test the deployment of the craft's four composite booms, which support its 860-square-foot light-catching sail. Those booms"While the solar sail has fully extended to its square shape roughly half the size of a tennis court, the mission team is assessing what appears to be a slight bend in one of the four booms,""This likely occurred as the booms and sail were pulled taut to the spacecraft during deployment," it adds.
"The mission team predicts the slight bend in one of the four booms will not inhibit the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System's ability to execute its sailing maneuvers later in the technology demonstration," agency officials wrote in Tuesday's update.spacecraft was the first to deploy a solar sail in space and use it as its main mode of propulsion — and Ikaros did this in interplanetary space, on its way toward Venus.
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